THE PATTERNS OF OUR LIVES –
“We are embarking on a search for insight into ourselves our feelings, our fears, our resentments, and the patterns of behavior that make up our lives.” (It Works, How & Why, p. 26)
NEW FREEDOM FROM THE PATTERNS THAT ENSLAVE –
“We can go far
beyond those things
which were superficially
wrong with us, to see those
flaws which were basic, flaws
which sometimes were re-
sponsible for the whole
pattern of our lives.”
(12 & 12, p. 80)
“We sleep, but
the loom of life
never stops,and the
pattern which was weav-
ing when the sun went
down is weaving when
it comes up in the
morning.”
– Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887) U.S. abolitionist & clergyman
What unhealthy patterns, in your life, have you discovered, lately?
July 4th Katy Perry Cali Gays (5:29)
Amazing Fireworks Meditation (5:36)
The Stag and His Reflection
This Short Story The Stag and His Reflection is quite interesting to all the people. Enjoy reading this story.
There once lived a proud stag. While wandering in the forest, he came upon a pond. He stopped there to drink water in order to quench his thirst. As he bent down, he saw his own reflection in the water. “How beautiful are my antlers!” he thought, admiring its long curves.
As the stag was admiring his antlers, he suddenly noticed his legs. “Ohh! Look at my skinny legs. I cannot believe God has given me both beautiful antlers and such ugly legs,” he thought. The proud stag now felt ashamed of his legs. His pride vanished. “These ugly legs are no match for my beautiful antlers,” he thought.
…
Just then the stag heard the roar of a lion. When he turned around he saw a lion charging at him. “Oh no!,” screamed the stag and ran as fast as he could.
The stag felt the lion’s breath close to him, “I must get into the densest part of the forest where there are many branches. The lion will not be able to catch me in that part of the forest,” thought the stag.
So, with this thought in mind, the stag ran into an area where there were many bushes and branches. Soon the stag had left the lion far behind.
“Ah, I outsmarted the lion,” thought the stag proudly. But all of a sudden his antlers got entangled between the trunks of two trees standing close to each other. “Aaarghh!” cried the stag, as he had to stop at once.
The more he tried to free himself, the more difficult it became. As the stag was struggling to get free, the lion came nearer and nearer.
“How I praised my horns and cursed my legs. Now I know the real value of my legs which almost took me to safety,” wailed the stag.
The lion pounced on the stag and killed him. That was the end of the proud stag.
1 and healthy pattern I need to change is being late to recovery meetings
Smoking cigarettes
Smoking….ahhhh
Good morning everyone + Happy Fourth Of July. I think about INDEPENDENCE. I think about FREEDOM. I think about freedom from bondage. I think about new beginnings + new hopes. I think how I am Happy, Joyous, + Free. Thank you God for Independence. May we celebrate our Independence today + everyday. Blessings. BB
I have no new patterns I’ve discovered. I’ve been just working on the ones I know already exist. I’m trying to short-circuit negative thoughts and recognizing when I’m stressing over my house hunting or stressful driving, how to pull myself out of it.
Stressing over what might be seems to be coming up more often for me. Letting go is clearly what’s in order.
I fall in to a pattern of unhealthy or at best, useless, self talk and worrying. I sometimes withdraw from participation when it comes to group activities. Because that takes effort, commitment, and responsibility. And inevitably, stress. So in short I guess it is a protection mechanism, but I may use it a little too often.
p.s. I love the email design today! Great work!
I look outside my window to the beautiful trees that overhang my entire block and I feel like Louis Armstrong, “I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” Today I celebrate so much goodness in my life. I do not celebrate everyday. And I cannot worry about tomorrow. Today is all I have. And today I can choose to celebrate!